Returning empty-handed or going somewhere? Tales from social division networks of re-migrants in the polarized post-Covid-19 era

A phenomenological study

Bibliographic Data

ID6255877
AuthorsHanvedes Daovisan (0000-0002-4758-7449, Center of Excellence for Human Security and Equity, Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand), Sayamol Charoenratana (0000-0003-1487-5900, Center of Excellence for Human Security and Equity, Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, corresponding author), Motoki Akitsu (0000-0003-0574-7931, Kyoto University)
Year2024
Volume24
Issue3
Pages386-407
Publication date2024-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnicities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-7968 • E-ISSN: 1741-2706
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/14687968231193826
OpenAlexW4385783079
LanguageEN
References cited46

This study poses the following questions: What are the reasons for cross-border re-migration? How are social division networks formed? We conducted a phenomenological study of social division networks for Laotian re-migrants in polarized post-COVID-19 Thailand. Chain referral sampling was used to recruit participants in 20 online semi-structured interviews, which were conducted from December 2021 to April 2022. Thematic saturation (codebook development, codebook refinement, code saturation, emerging themes, and confirming theory) was used to analyze the interview transcripts. Three themes emerged from the participants’ responses: the reasons for re-migration, the role of network capital, and social divisions of re-migrants in polarized post-COVID-19 Thailand. Our findings provide useful insights into the importance of group connections with strong supply network ties to promote transnational mobility; this facilitates the movement of cross-border re-migrants between home-sending and host-receiving countries

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Qualitative research · Social capital · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Gender Studies · Medicine · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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